When I’m writing, I sometimes come up with a phrase that I find delightful. Sometimes I use these phrases in my work, but sometimes they’re just a little twee, or too pat, or don’t quite fit, or sound too much like a slogan. Some of them, too, are fairly obvious, so I’m probably not the first one to put the words together this way.
Nevertheless, I love these phrases, so I keep a running collection. Here are some of my favorites.
- I’m already all ready.
- Rather than brace against change, embrace it.
- The past has passed.
- I want to prove myself and improve myself
- Generations are generalizations.
- It’s the difference between fresh air and air freshener.
- Many have become a prophet for the profit. (That phrase is one of my “bleak aphorisms,” the collection of bleak aphorisms that I wrote and didn’t include in my book Secrets of Adulthood.)
- I’m not complaining; I’m explaining.
- Words can reveal or conceal.
- Offal is awful.
- Use intention with your attention.
- Go on a quest to answer a question.
- Exploring virtual reality showed me the virtue of reality.
- Color gives us insight in sight.
- Time that’s fulfilling isn’t filled too full.
- Autonomy matters. We’re happy to be “of use,” but we don’t want to feel “used.”
- Timeless and timely. I think I will use this phrase in my proposal for my next book, Project Empty Nest.
- Here’s another phrase from Project Empty Nest: Whether or not they do it on purpose, many parents make their children their purpose.
- Whatever I put first will last.
- The trap of trappings.
- Celebrities have to deal with the paparazzi; children have to deal with the paparazzi and the mamarazzi.
- When people unexpectedly leave their jobs, the reason often involves fun or funds.
- What’s the opposite of “careful”: “careless” or “carefree?”
- Why isn’t an eyesore a sight for sore eyes? (I wanted to include that in my book Life in Five Senses, but I refrained)
- Saying “please” is the polite way to make pleas.
- The land of the imagination is the unreal estate.
- To be admitted, offer cash or cachet.
- When it comes to clearing clutter, some people aren’t disposed to disposal.
Creating this kind of collection is the kind of task that makes me love my occupation of being a writer.
For me, making this kind of list is the kind of thing I enjoy doing. I love making lists. In fact, when I don’t have a list, I feel listless.